Weft cutting device for weaving machinery



March 2, 1965 Y. JUILLARD 3,171,444

WEFT CUTTING DEVICE FOR wsavmc MACHINERY Filed March 20. 1962 UnitedStates Patent 5 Claims. (a. 139-291 This invention relates to animproved cutting device usable as an attachment on looms for cutting theweft threads of the woven fabric as the weaving proceeds. The cutting ofthe weft during a weaving operation may have various uses. It may beuseful in cutting oif the protruding end parts of the picks of weftsuccessively shot across the fabric in shuttleless looms. The devicewill also be of value in all cases where it may be desired to cut thefabric into a plurality of breadths or strips, as in the manufacture ofcrape bandages for instance.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved cuttingarrangement for use on weaving frames or looms, which will actefliciently to cut through the weft threads of the woven fabric withouttending to cut into the warp thereof or otherwise damage the fabric.Other objects are to provide such a weft cutting device which will bequickly and easily removable and reinsertable as for sharpening orreplacing the cutter blade, or when the cutter is not required; and toprovide such a device the installation of which on an existing loom willrequire the provision of a minimum of additional mechanism for actuatingthe cutter from the loom mechanism, and which once installed will notinterfere with the principal operation of the loom for the weaving offabrics.

The invention in one aspect comprises the provision, in a loom havingmeans for forming a woven fabric with mutually normal warp and weftthreads and means for advancing the fabric on the loom parallel to thewarp, of a cutter blade, and means mounting said cutter blade in ageneral plane normal to said weft threads so as to cut through all theweft threads as the fabric is advanced, said mounting means includingmeans permitting some degree of free floating movement of the bladenormally to said plane so as to prevent the blade from cutting into andscotching the warp threads.

It will be understood that the free floating mount of the cutter bladeof the invention normally to its plane, i.e. parallel to the directionof the weft, ensures that the blade will be able to follow freely theunavoidable irregularities or sinuosities in the direction of the warpalong the fabric, i

so that the blade will at all times remain within the interval betweentwo adjacent warp threads into which it was initially inserted and willcut perpendicularly through the weft threads without however scotchingor otherwise damaging any of the adjacent warp threads.

The invention further contemplates imparting a reciprocatory movement tothe blade along its length direction, i.e. normally to the plane of thefabric, for improving the cutting action.

Furthermore, according to a preferred form of the invention means areprovided for rapid and easy removal of the cutter blade from, and itsinsertion into, its operative position on the loom.

An exemplary embodiment of the invention will now be described forpurposes of illustration but not of limitation with reference to theaccompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of part of a loom equipped with theimproved weft cutting attachment of the invention; and

FIG. 2 is a large-scale view of the cutter blade, shown in section,cutting through the weft of a woven fabric.

3,171 ,444 Patented Mar. 2, 1965 In the partial view shown in FIG. 1,there are shown at 1 and 2 the two sheets of the warp yarn forming theshed as said sheets are cyclically reciprocated by the conventionalreciprocating heddles or equivalent means of the loom, not shown.Conventional means, such as a shuttle or a pair of weft picking needles(not shown) are provided for cyclically shooting a pick of weft yarn 3through the shed, and further means, such as a reed carried on a batten,the latter indicated at 33, then act to settle the pick of weft into theapex of the shed defined by sheets 1 and 2. Thereby is formed a wovenfabric, as indicated at 4, which is advanced through the loom by meansof a take-up beam 11 or the like. At 5 is illustrated a conventionaltemple or tenter bearing on the surface of the newly woven fabric tohold it in position under stretch.

In accordance with the invention, a cutter device gen erally indicatedat 15 includes a cutter blade 15a which is mounted in generally verticalposition with the general plane of the blade extending parallel to thegeneral direction of the warp, so as to be insertable between twoadjacent warp threads and thereby cut through the weft as the fabric isadvanced towards beam 11. The cutter blade 15a is secured at its lowerend to an end member or fitting 15b, which conveniently is in the formof a split plug resiliently insertable into a complementary socket 17pivoted at its lower end at 18 to one arm 19 of a bellcrank lever 20.With such an arrangement the cutter 15 is very quickly and easilyinserted in position and once inserted will be retained with quiteadequate firmness during operation, while being just as quickly andreadily removable from its mount, by simply pulling out forcibly the endfitting 1517 out of the socket 17, when desired, e.g. to sharpen, orreplace, the cutter blade 15a. To facilitate such removal and insertion,the upper end of the cutter 15 is shown as being provided with a knurledknob 35. It will be understood however that various other mountingmeans, preferably though not necessarily of a quickly disengageablecharacter, may be provided instead of the mounting means shown.

The bell-crank lever 20 is pivoted at its center or apex on a pivot 21parallel to the longitudinal or warp direction of the loom, supportedfrom a boss 22 of the frame 16 of the loom. The second arm 24 of leverM), which is directed downwardly, has its end pivoted at 25 to a pointof a bar 26 which is mounted for transverse reciprocation in the framee.g. in bearings such as 27 provided in said frame. One end of bar 26 isshown connected by way of a swivel 31 to one end of an obliquelyextending link 28 the other end of which is connected by a swivel 32 tothe batten 33. Thus in the operation of the loom, with the batten 33being cyclically reciprocated back and forth in the longitudinal or warpdirection in timed relationship to the weaving cycle, as well understoodby those familiar with the weaving art, the batten will imparttransverse reciprocation to the slider bar 26 through link 28 and hence,through the bell-crank lever 20, will impart vertical reciprocation tothe cutter 15, thereby facilitating the cutting operations.

It will further be noted that owing to the pivotal mounting of thecutter 15 at its lower end while the upper end of the cutter is free,the cutter is, in effect, free-floating in regard to its transversemovements in the direction normal to the plane of the blade, andparallel to the direction of the weft yarn. Hence the cutter will beable to accommodate any minor variations in warp direction as willinevitably occur along the length of the fabric, and will simply rockslightly about its lower pivot 18 to accommodate such directionalvariations in the warp without tending to bite into either of the twoadjacent warp yarns between which the blade is inserted, as would be thecase were it not for the transverse freedom of motion provided by thefloating mount described.

and 7, with the two warp threads in each of said pairs beingoppositelyand symmetrically looped about the weft threads 3 as shown, vtherebymore positively preventing the cut-olf extremities of the weft threadsfrom working loose in the cut fabric. It will be understood that owingto the transverse freedom of movement of the cutter blade a as earlierdescribed, the blade will faithfully. follow the path defined betweenthe two pairs of warp threads 4. positioned to receive and removablyretain said plug in the proper cutting position of said cutter member,and a reciprocable driving connection between said cyclically and 7 intowhich it was inserted without cutting into Y and scotching said warpthreads. The cut-off lengths of weft yarn 3 together with their bindingwarp threads 7, may desirably be taken up about the same take-up rolleror beam 11 asthe main fabric, as shown in FIG. 1.

The mounting arrangement illustrated and described-is advantageous inthat, in addition to providing the transverse freedom of motionmentioned above, it firmly and positively retains the cutter againstlongitudinal move-- ments which would interfere with a positive. andefficient cutting action. 'Moreover, while'the mounting provides for avery quick and simple removal of the cutter when necessary, it does notallow any objectionablerangling of 17. It will also be noted that onremoval of the cutter 15, the remaining parts of the device orattachmentof the invention will not in any way interfere with the; normalfunctions of the loom.

Various modifications may of course be madeinthe single illustrativeembodiment described without' departing from the scope of the invention,and suchmodifications may involve the mounting means for the cutter, andthe reciprocatory actuating means therefor, although such means shouldpreserve the feature of the invention according to which the cutter hasa certain freedom of displacement in the lateral direction; If desired,apl'urality of similar cutting devices may be, positionedin transverselyspaced relation across thefr'ame so asto cut the Woven fabric into aplurality of narrow breadths or strips.

What isclaimed is: i

1. In a loom for weaving a-fabric with. warp andtweft threads, astationary part on'the. loom, a cyclicallymoving part and mechanisms-forcutting the. weft threads as the fabric is advanced through the loom,said mechanism comprising a bell-crank lever fulcrumed to saidstationary part, for pivotal movement in a vertical plane, a socketmember mounted on onearm of said bell-crank: lever for,

pivotal movement about an, axis parallel. to the warp threads passingthrough the loom, an elongated. cutter member having opposite ends, asplitplug carried byone end of. the cutter memberwith said socket memberbeing:

moving part and the other arm of said bell-crank lever so as toreciprocate said cutter member in synchronlsm with the cyclic weavingoperationof the loom while permitting free oscillation of said cuttermember in a direction perpendicular to said warp threads.

2. The loom as claimed in claim 1 in which said cyclically moving partis the batten of the loom and said driving connection comprises a barmounted for reciprocation parallel to the weft threads, a link and meansswivelling the opposite ends of the link to the batten and bar,respectively. a Y Y 3. The loomas claimed in claim 2 in which said linkextends obliquely between the batten and the bar.

4. The loom as claimed in claim 3 in Whichtheother end of saidcutter'mem'ber is provided with a knurled knob to facilitate directionaladjustment of the cutter member as well as the insertion and removal'ofsaid plug in and from ,said socket member.

5. In a loom for weaving a fabric with warp and weft threads, astationary part on the loom, a member cycli- V 'cally reciprocableparallelto said warp threads and mech- 3d 15b in the said properorientation relative to the socket anism for cutting the weft thread asthe'rfabric is advanced through the loom, said mechanism comprising abellcrank lever fulcrumedto said stationary part-for pivotal movement ina vertical plane, an elongated cutter memher, 'a fitting member on oneend of said cutter member, a socket member mounted on one arm of saidbell-crank lever forspivotal movement about an axis, parallel to thewarp threads passing through the loom and positioned to receive andremovably retain said fitting member in the proper cutting position ofsaid cutter member, a bar mounted for reciprocation parallel to the weftthreads, means pivotally connecting the other arm of said bellcranklever to said bar, a link extending obliquely between said reciprocablememberand said bar and means swiveling the ends of-said link tosaidreciprocable mem-' her and bar, respectively, so asto reciprocatesaid cutter member in synchronisrn with the cyclic weaving operation ofthe loom while permitting free oscillation of said cutter V member in adirection perpendicular to said warp threads.

References Cited in the file of this patent 'UNITED STATES PATENTS

1. IN A LOOM FOR WEAVING A FABRIC WITH WARP AND WEFT THREADS, ASTATIONARY PART ON THE LOOM, A CYCLICALLY MOVING PART AND MECHANISM FORCUTTING THE WEFT THREADS AS THE FABRIC IS ADVANCED THROUGH THE LOOM,SAID MENCHANISM COMPRISING A BELL-CRANK LEVER FULCRUMED TO SAIDSTATIONARY PART FOR PIVOTAL MOVEMENT IN A VERTICAL PLANE, A SOCKETMEMBER MOUNTED ON ONE ARM OF SAID BELL-CRANK LEVER FOR PIVOTAL MOVEMENTABOUT AN AXIS PARALLEL TO THE WARP THREADS PASSING THROUGH THE LOOM, ANELONGATED CUTTER MEMBER HAVING OPPOSITE ENDS, A SPLIT PLUG CARRIED BYONE END OF THE CUTTER MEMBER WITH SAID SOCKET MEMBER BEING POSITIONED TORECEIVE AND REMOVABLY RETAIN SAID PLUG IN THE PROPER CUTTING POSITION OFSAID CUTTER MEMBER, AND A RECIPROCABLE DRIVING CONNECTION BETWEEN SAIDCYCLICALLY MOVING PART AND THE OTHER ARM OF SAID BELL-CRANK LEVER SO ASTO RECIPROCATE SAID CUTTER MEMBER IN SYNCHRONISM WITH THE CYCLIC WEAVINGOPERATION OF THE LOOM WHILE PERMITTING FREE OSCILLATION OF SAID CUTTERMEMBER IN A DIRECTION PERPENDICULAR TO SAID WARP THREADS.